April 1687, The Orangery, Versailles.
More than a thousand Mediterranean trees are housed in the cathedral-like galleries of the Orangery. Built by the King’s architect to impress courtiers, the tree-lined space became a theatrical setting to entertain the Court. Inside, the gardeners would build bonfires to keep the trees warm so when the Sun King visited, the heady scent of firewood blended with his beloved orange blossoms would emit a generous golden aura.

Developed with Rodrigo Flores Roux.

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- Louis XIV was dubbed the ‘sweetest smelling monarch’ during his reign. To satisfy his particular love of orange blossom he imported thousands of orange trees from Spain, Italy, and Portugal and had his architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart expand the largest ever Orangery in Europe. During his reign, it was fashionable among nobles to offer their own citrus and fruit trees to complement the King’s collection.

- A true genius of architecture, the name of Jules Hardouin-Mansart is attached to the most grandiose architectural achievements of Louis XIV’s reign. At Versailles, he designed among others the Hall of Mirrors, the North and South wings, the Cent-Marches staircases, the Royal Chapel, the Grand Trianon and of course, the Grand Orangery.

- The Orangery, by its monumentality and the purity of its lines, is one of the places where Hardouin-Mansart best asserted his talent. Facing south, it’s protected from the cold of the prevailing winds by its position under the Parterre du Midi. Orange, lemon and  other and citrus trees, as well as oleanders, palm and even pomegranate trees have been protected for over 200 years within its monumental galleries.

- Hardouin-Mansart doubled the length and width of the first orangery built by Louis Le Vau in 1663, to make it the immense building preserved today. The central gallery is over 150 meters long and its vault culminates at 13 meters high. It was built under the ‘Italian model”, that is, in stone, with walls 4 to 5 meters thick, double glazing of the bays and a Southern exposure to maintain warmer temperatures even in winter.

- To preserve the heat and trick the trees into blossoming earlier, the gardeners lit bonfires, mixing the warm scent of burning woods with the orange, lemon, and honey-like fragrance. To enhance the ambience even further, small bird-shaped ornaments known as Oiselets de Chypre, would be produced out of a fragrant paste and hung from tree branches.